Toy



July 2 11, 1931. M. MENKUS ETAL- 1,815,378

TOY

Fileld Aug. 26. 1929 Patented July 21, 1931 UNiTED STATES MORRIS MENKUS AND BEN MENKUS, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA TOY Application filed August 26, 1929. Serial No. 388,390.

This invention relates to amusement devices and particularly pertains to a toy.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide a toy which requires considerable skill in its manipulation, and which may be used in the playing of games where plays or moves are made in reference to a structure such as a spinner, by which different numerals might be obtained to direct l@ and control the plays, and which structure might be also used as an educational d evice in forming simple problems in arithmetic.

The present invention contemplates the provision of a rigid bodv structure formed 15 with one or more endless raceways therein disposed in substantially the same plane, and within which raceways spherical members may be placed and may be caused to rotate around the raceways and be held therein by centrifugal action as the structure is giyen a gyratory motion in the general plane within which the raceways lie.

The present invention is illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is a plan view of the toy 1n its normal playing position, disposed on a dat surface; a fragment of which is shown.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view on line 2--2 of Fig. 1.

Referring more particularly to the drawings indicates a flat smooth surface upon which the toy 11 is placed when the player is about to manipulate the same in a game or for any other reason. The toy 11 as shown slmulates a grotesque figure having feet 12, a body portion 13, a head 14, having a cap 15 and adjoining and integral with a portion of the body 13 a'member 16 integrally connects the elliptical body 13 with a circular raceway 17 which broadly simulates a raised hand. As is shown in the drawing the body 13 is formed as an endless raceway, the inner face of which is grooved to form a continuous ball race 18. The raceway 17 is formed as an annulus, the inner face of which is grooved to form a continuous ball race 19 about its inner face. l

Balls 2O and 20 are provided to move within the grooved paths and to facilitate their movement these grooves are so proportioned that the balls 20 extend for a portion of their diameter within the grooves and between marginal langes 21 and 22; this construction veliminates surface friction and tends to cause the balls 20 to hold more truly to their paths of travel. Y Y

The plane face portion of the raceways is each divided into segments 23 and 24 which may be numerically indicated as at 3l and 32. 60

In order to use the toy, it is laid iat'upon a table or other smooth level surface` 10. After having placed Vthe balls 20 within the areas bound by the annulus of the circular member 17 and the area bound by 'ellipse body @5 -13, the whole toy is given a gyratorial motion 1n the general plane of the toy, which causes balls 2O to be given centrifugal action so that they will travel along their respective grooves 18 and 19. When the toy has been 70 given suiiicient motion to cause the balls 20 to travel at a fair rate 0r` speed along their Vpaths the toy is brought to rest upon a level plane surface. Thefballs will continue to travel around vtheir raceways due to their momentum. Theywill gradual-ly come to rest and `will stand in register with one of the segments 23 and: 24 which may be indicated by numbers or other symbols as indicated by the reference numerals 25 and 26. 8 The number indicated by the position of the balls when they have come t0 rest, may be taken as the number of points allotted the player as would be the case when using a spinner in playing parcheesi. Vhen used as an educational game the number indicated by the ball may be written upon a tabulation sheet and upon each subsequent play the numbers indicated by the balls may also be written down in the order played, which group of numbers, after a certain number of plays, may be added to give a total sum, or the number indicated, which will seldom be equal, and may be subtracted the one from the other.

The toy may also be used simply as an amusement device for it requires considerable skill to manipulate the toy and maintain the balls in the raceways when the toy is lifted le@ from the plane surface and disposed at different angles. It will thus be seen that the toy here disclosed is quite simple in its construction and inexpensive as to manufacturing cost, and that it provides an amusement device which requires considerable skilll in its operation and may be used in Connection With the playing of games or as a device for setting up o various simpleproblems in arithmetic, which may then be solved' by the operator.'

While We have shown the preferred form of our invention as now known to us, it will be understood that various changes may be 15 made in the combination, construction and arrangement. of' parts-by those skilled in the m .without departing from the spirit of the invention as 'claimenz YHaving thun described our invention, 'what 20 we claim and desiretn secure by Letters Pan enti@ :--L

VA toy comprising aball, an ami'ulus along the. inner surface nf whleli the ball is intended to roll, saidinner facev of Ysaid annulus being 25' recessedfo forni opposite marginal flanges described on a sectional are of shorter radius than therldius 'of the ball whereby the hall Willtendto -vvelge between said marginal flanges during operation of the toy, the op- 3g posite Sidifaoes ofthe toy lloeing flat and in parallel planesv'hereby the annulns may be temporarily rested upon a plane surface and given g'yratory 'motion until the ball has been-Set in motion to 'rollv along the' inner face of the annulus under its own momentum, said plane faces of the annulus being formed with graduatiunsofldiirent value so that when theiannulusis disposed upon a plane surface andv the/centrifugal action of the ball has 40 been exhausted the ball will come to 'rest upon the plane surface adjacent a graduation on the. annulus. A

MORRIS MENKUS. .BEN MENKUS. 

